Aquarium Internship
Job Summary
Join our Aquarium Team for a semester long, career-based learning experience. Interns assist staff in all aspects of daily care for exhibit and quarantine animals including water testing, husbandry, and equipment maintenance. Applicants must be Open Water SCUBA certified prior to the start of their program. Internships are not paid.
Application Due Date
- Fall Internship – August 1st
- Spring Internship – December 1st
- Summer Internship – April 1st
Internship Period
- Fall Internship: September – December
- Spring Internship: January – April
- Summer Internship: May – August
Hours
- Shifts are between 8am and 4pm Monday-Sunday with weekend hours required.
- Interns are expected to work two days per week for a total of 200 hours over 4 months. Start and end dates are somewhat flexible.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Prepares diets
- Feeds exhibit animals
- Monitors water quality
- Observes animals for disease and injury
- Conducts feeding and cleaning dives
- Maintains life support equipment
- Helps maintain aquarists’ daily husbandry logs
- Presents weekly educational and interactive programs
- Complete research project of your choice and present results to staff
Job Qualifications
- Must be currently enrolled (completed freshman year) in (or recently graduated from) a Biology- related program at an accredited college or university.
- Applicants must be SCUBA certified by a nationally recognized institution (PADI, NAUI, etc.) and own dive gear
- Required gear includes: wetsuit, mask, boots and gloves—we do not use tanks, BCDs, fins or snorkels.
- Interns are responsible for any wear/tear on personal gear
- Discovery World only provides air/regulators and weights
- Preference will be given to individuals with prior animal husbandry experience
- Applicants must be able to regularly lift up to 50 pounds
- Works well both individually and as part of a team
